


Until the Morning

by scarfy36



Series: Inspired by Charlene Kaye's 'Animal Love' [4]
Category: Glee, White Collar
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-01-23
Updated: 2013-06-15
Packaged: 2017-11-26 14:28:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,421
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/651336
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarfy36/pseuds/scarfy36
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Glee/White Collar AU: Neal Caffrey’s real name is Cooper Anderson, Blaine kept in loose contact with his brother over the years and after hearing that he’s back decides to visit while he’s in New York seeing Kurt. Set after Most Wanted (Season 4 Episode 2) of White Collar and after season 3 of glee. Somewhat inspired by Until The Morning by Charlene Kaye.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

A few evenings after Neal’s return there was a knock at the door. He grabbed his cane and limped over to the door, expecting to Peter to be there checking on him. Instead he found his little brother, Blaine.

“What’s with the cane, Coop?” Blaine was the only person who still called him Cooper, mainly because he was one of the only people in his life who knew that was his real name.

“What are you doing here?” Neal asked, wondering why his brother was so far from Ohio.

“I was visiting Kurt and I heard that you were back. But I asked first – what’s with the cane?” Blaine pulled up a chair at the kitchen table and Neal did the same.

“I – uh – I may have got shot in the leg while I was on the run, no biggie,” Neal tried to brush over the matter without causing too much stress for Blaine. “How did you know I was back?”

“I have my sources,” Blaine said mysteriously.

Neal raised his eyebrow at his brother, “it was Mozzie wasn’t it?”

“Yeah,” Blaine laughed and Neal chuckled.

“You two are a bad combination… how’s Kurt?” Neal tried to steer the direction of the conversation away from talk of where he’d been, glancing over to the door.

“He’s great, he loves New York and he’s not sick of living with Rachel yet. But seriously Coop, you tell me you got shot and then expect me to make small talk with you? I’ve been worried about you for months, just tell me something,” Blaine pleaded. He had kept his eye on the Most Wanted websites and believed that no news was good news while he was on the run, but he’d still worried nonetheless.

Neal sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “I don’t know what to tell you – Moz and I went to this nice little Island to lay low, it was great there. I guess it was too good to last though, they got some leads on us and things got very complicated and in that complication I took a bullet to the thigh. But I’m back now and Peter’s trying to get my old deal back. I’ll still be on the anklet but I won’t go to back to jail.”

“Good” Blaine nodded, taking in everything his brother was saying.  “Why’d you run this time, if you knew it would end like this?”

Neal told his brother about Kramer, and how his only other choice was to run. “It’s exhilarating being on the run, the thrill of the chase is my one true love.” Neal smiled reminiscently. “Nothing good’s going to come from my love, not until I’ve paid my dues.”

“Why do you keep looking at the door?” Blaine asked as he noticed his brother’s eyes glancing over again.

“Peter’ll be coming over soon and he doesn’t exactly know about you,” Neal chuckled. “And after everything we just went through, he’s going to be mad I kept something like this from him.”

“But you are going to tell him?” Blaine had heard a lot about Peter, his brother’s handler at the FBI, but never met him.

“How else am I going to explain the 17 year old kid in my apartment?”

“A stray protégée you picked up on the street?” Blaine joked.

“Oh he would love that,” Neal laughed.

“You’re still painting I see?” Blaine pointed at the easel by the window.

“Yeah, I’ve got to keep from getting rusty somehow.”

Blaine stood up and walked over to inspect the paintings and sketches he could see. Some he recognised as forgeries and some looked like originals, but they were all amazing.

There was a knock at the door and Blaine froze in his inspection of an original sketch of a woman he didn’t recognise.

Neal limped over to the door and opened it to reveal a man Blaine could only assume was Peter.

“I think I’ll be able to get your old deal ba– Who’s this, Neal?” Peter asked him then turned to Blaine and extended his hand to shake. “Peter Bourke, I’m Neal’s handler at the FBI.”

“I know,” Blaine said in a small voice, unsure of what his brother’s plan regarding him was. Blaine shook Peter’s hand timidly and turned to Neal, “Cooper?”

“Who’s Cooper?” Peter questioned, a confused frown forming on his face. “And who are you?”

“Peter–” Neal paused, one last internal debate on how much to tell Peter, “This is Blaine. He’s my – he’s my brother.”

“You don’t have a brother,” Peter deadpanned.

“Neal Caffrey doesn’t, but Cooper Anderson on the other hand…”

“So Neal’s not your real name?” Peter sighed and sat down at the table. Neal half shrugged in reply. “You lied to the courts, to everyone?”

“I had to, I didn’t want anyone tracing me back to my family,” Neal tried to reason. “I became Neal Caffrey as soon as I left Ohio at 18, the less people who knew who I used to be the better.”

“So if you changed your name, how did your brother find you?”

“We kept in contact after he left,” Blaine spoke more confidently now that he knew somewhat where he stood with Peter. “Just a phone call every couple of weeks, a couple of letters when phone calls weren’t an option – enough to know he was still alright.”

“We monitored every letter in and out while Neal was in prison, I think we would have noticed some going to – Ohio was it?” Peter was slightly baffled.

Blaine grinned. “Coop’s not the only one who knows codes and has contacts here.”

“We had all that mail go through Mozzie or one of his safe houses, did you really think we’d be that careless?” Neal remembered the feeling of hopelessness when he found things out about his brother’s life while he was stuck inside his tiny cell walls. The delay of the precautions they had to take only made things worse – as if finding out his baby brother was in hospital and had to move schools because of some assholes could get any worse.

“But why are you here now, what sparked your sudden visit to New York?” Peter was trying to get as much information as he could.

“I was visiting my boyfriend and heard Coop was back, so I thought I’d come visit,” Blaine gave him the honest answer.

“Have you visited before?” Peter asked.

The brothers locked eyes, then Neal nodded and Blaine answered, “Just once, when I visited Kurt here for the first time.”

“This stays in this room. No one else finds out. You’re in enough trouble right now, and if they find out you’ve been lying to the FBI for nearly 10 years you’ll be straight back in prison,” Peter was blunt but honest, something Blaine appreciated about him.

“I know,” Neal nodded.

“I wouldn’t put it past them to have you under surveillance, so I’d keep things pretty quiet until all of this settles down. Don’t give them any reason to start investigating you,” Peter warned.

“I won’t,” Neal agreed.

“I better get going, El’ll be wondering where I am,” Peter stood up. “It was – er – nice to meet you Blaine.”

“You too,” Blaine said somewhat awkwardly, shaking Peter’s hand.

“Don’t do anything stupid Neal,” Peter said sternly. Neal opened his mouth to speak but Peter shook his head and walked out the door.

“So you met Peter,” Neal half-grinned, shutting the door.

“And there goes you meeting Kurt,” Blaine sighed.

“Not necessarily–” Neal defended but Blaine cut him off.

“It’s too risky if you’re under surveillance Coop, don’t worry about it.”

“How long are you here for then?” Neal changed the subject.

“Just till tomorrow, then I’m back to Ohio.”

“So you’re staying here tonight then?” Neal didn’t want his little brother walking around New York by himself at this time of evening.

“I was going to go back to Kurt’s, but he’ll understand if I stay here,” Blaine explained.

“It would look too suspicious if you left just after Peter, they’d know he knows you’re here – plus, I don’t want my baby brother wandering around New York alone in the dark.”

“I’m nearly 18, Coop, hardly a baby,” Blaine pouted.

“You’ll always be my baby brother, Blaine,” Neal smiled. “You’ll only have to put up with your big brother for one night, and then you can go back to being a big almost-adult.”

“I’ll go call Kurt and explain why the left side of his bed’s going to be colder tonight,” Blaine pulled his phone out, grinned at the cringe on his brother’s face and walked out to the patio, leaving Neal to gather his thoughts.

Neal was glad to see his brother again, but the timing was horrible. He couldn’t afford to have the FBI find out his real name and old life, but he still wanted to have Blaine around.  It seemed he couldn’t have both but he couldn’t choose. Someday he’d make his mind up, but for now he’d enjoy having his brother around. Blaine made him feel free, like they were still children and he didn’t have the FBI breathing down his neck or a two mile radius.

“It’ll just be until the morning, then I’ll come over before I go home,” Neal caught the end of Blaine’s conversation. “I love you too, see you tomorrow.”

Blaine blushed slightly at the sight of his brother’s grin as he re-entered the room.

“So,” Neal began, “what do you want to do tonight, little brother?”

“I don’t really care Coop, I just want to spend what time I can with you,” Blaine replied.

Neal’s grin broadened, “Duran Duran off?”

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a while since the last update but here's part 2. Part 3 may be coming, but not for a while.

** Part 2 **

Blaine rolled over and squinted sleepily at his boyfriend lying beside him.

“Morning sunshine,” Kurt grinned.

“M-morning,” Blaine stifled a yawn.

“You got a message before but I didn’t see who it was from.”

“How long have you been awake? You could have woken me,” Blaine reached for his phone on the bedside table.

“Not long,” Kurt shrugged. “How could I wake you when you’re so adorable when you’re asleep?”

“It was Cooper, he wants me to come over and meet someone,” Blaine’s face was illuminated in the half light of the room by his phone. “You’re welcome to come too.”

“I think I’ll pass, I’ve got some work and stuff to do.” Blaine knew Kurt was just giving him time to be alone with his brother who he saw so rarely.

“If you’re sure?”

“I’m sure,” Kurt smiled. “Go and meet this new person.”

“Pants first I think,” Blaine said, stretching and looking around for his clothes.

“Such a shame,” Kurt smirked.

“There’ll be plenty of time for that later, my flight’s not till tomorrow afternoon,” Blaine matched his boyfriend’s sly grin, getting out of bed and grabbing his pants off the floor.

He was interrupted with one leg in by Kurt’s arms around him, sliding down his back and pulling him into his lap. Their lips met, teasing each other with a taste of what would come later that night – or day if they couldn’t wait.

Blaine’s phone buzzing from beside them broke their focus. Blaine reached over to check it, maintaining his place between Kurt’s legs. “He seems really nervous about me meeting whoever this is. You know how much I’d rather stay but I really should get going.”

Kurt kissed Blaine one last time before releasing him to finish dressing and find some clothes of his own.

OoOoOoO

Neal was tapping his fingers anxiously against the table of his apartment, his gaze switching between the door and Sara, who was sitting opposite him.

“I’ve never seen you so nervous, who am I meeting?” Sara was getting more curious as Neal got more nervous.

“I’ll explain when he gets here,” Neal answered.

“So it’s a he? Can I play 20 Questions to figure out who it is?” Sara was having fun watching Neal squirm.

“He should be here soon,” Neal checked his phone again.

“I like this new nervous side of you,” Sara teased.

“I want there to be less secrets between us and this’ll knock out a few big ones.”

“Okay,” Sara nodded.

They sat in an anxious silence until there was a knock at the door and Neal leapt up to answer it.

“Hey Coop,” Blaine greeted his brother. “Are you going to tell me who I’m meeting yet?”

“Yeah, she’s already here,” Neal led his brother inside. “Blaine, this is Sara Ellis. Sara, this is Blaine Anderson.” Sara stood to shake Blaine’s hand. “He’s my little brother.”

“You have a brother?” Sara asked incredulously.

“Remember when you asked me if Neal Caffrey was my real name?”

“He called you Coop, not Neal when you answered the door,” Sara’s face was blank as she sat back down into a chair at the table and shook her head to clear it. “Does Peter know?”

“Yes, he met Blaine last time he was here,” Neal was observing Sara’s reaction. “My name up until I was 18 was Cooper Anderson. I lived in Ohio and had a younger brother.”

“Well that… that’s some new information,” Sara said slowly.

Something clicked in Blaine’s mind, “she’s the girl from that drawing.”

“What drawing?” Neal and Sara asked simultaneously.

“The last time I was here there was a sketch of her on your easel, that’s why she looked familiar,” Blaine smirked at his brother. “Your attention to detail really is great, Coop.”

“How long have you been in contact with each other? And how the hell have the FBI not found out about this?” Sara was buzzing with questions.

“We’ve kept in contact since I left, apart from my recent stint in hiding. Peter knows due to some unfortunate timing – but this is me we’re talking about, I have my ways and an extremely intelligent brother.” Neal dropped his voice, “I know what you went through with your sister but I didn’t do that to Blaine.”

“I know,” Sara nodded then grinned and turned to Blaine. “So Blaine, tell me a bit about yourself. I’m dying to get to know Neal’s best kept secret.”

“What do you want to know?” Blaine smiled, glad she seemed to like him. “I’m in my senior year of high school in Ohio and I’ve just been visiting my boyfriend who lives here in New York.” Blaine rubbed his neck subconsciously, running his fingers over the mark Kurt’s mouth left under his collar.

“He cute?” she asked.

“The cutest,” Blaine grinned. “I’m dying for Cooper to meet him, though I’m not sure if the world would be able to contain that much attractiveness with them both in the same room.”

“Why don’t we test that tonight? Come over for dinner, I’ll cook for you,” Neal proposed.

“Tonight? We sort of had plans…” Blaine didn’t want to give his brother the specifics of what he and Kurt hoped to get up to.

“Plans?” Neal asked. Blaine raised his eyebrow, blushed and nodded slightly, not wanting to voice what he had planned. Neal understood his brother’s awkward sign language. “Just dinner, then you can carry on with your ‘plans’.”

“I’ll ask Kurt and see what he thinks,” Blaine nodded.

“I should get going,” Sara stood up to leave.

“But you’re coming back for dinner?” Neal asked.

“I don’t know–” she tried to excuse herself but Neal cut her off.

“You know you want to talk about all this,” he dropped his voice and Blaine pretended not to listen.

“Fine,” she caved.

Neal’s face split into a huge grin, “Great, I’ll see you later then.”

“Goodbye, Neal. It was great meeting you Blaine,” she rolled her eyes at Neal and smiled at Blaine.

“You too,” Blaine smiled back, all charm.

The door had barely closed behind Sara when Neal turned to his brother. “Did you like her? I’m so glad you two finally met.”

Blaine smirked at how adorably nervous his brother was being. “She’s great, but who exactly is she? You were kind of vague on that.”

“Sara works for Sterling Bosch, an insurance agency. She’s been after me for a Raphael I allegedly stole–”

“Did you steal it?”

“That’s beside the point – the point is that she testified against me at my trial but last year we kind of got together and she was my girlfriend for a while but it’s kind of complicated now.” Neal sat down on the couch. “She’s not impressed with some of the things I’ve done recently so I thought a few less secrets between us may help things.”

“Well I think it was great, you showed a lot of trust in her,” Blaine sat down beside his brother. “Things will work out eventually.”

Neal shrugged, “I suppose… now we need to focus on dinner tonight. I promise to be ‘Big Brother Cooper’ rather than ‘Ex-Con Neal’ around Kurt.”

“Good,” Blaine nodded. “I should call him or get back to him to tell him about our new dinner plans.”

“Absolutely.”

“I think we’ll go do lunch in the city somewhere, do you know anywhere good?”  Blaine pulled his phone out to text his boyfriend.

“Kurt probably knows better than me,” Neal shrugged.

“Probably,” Blaine laughed.

“So, your plans for tonight?”

“Do you really want to talk about that?” Blaine blushed.

“I just want to know that you two are being safe and–”

“No, we are not having this conversation, Coop,” Blaine cut his brother off. “You’re a bit late anyway.”

“Well I know Mom and Dad wouldn’t have had it with you and I wasn’t there to give it to you when you needed it.”

“But you’re here now and that’s what matters,” Blaine didn’t want his brother to punish himself for not being around much as he was growing up, anyone would have left their parents the second they could – Blaine will have to use all of his willpower to finish his senior year in Ohio and not move to New York the second he turns 18. “And if you must know we are being safe,” Blaine blushed deeper and avoided his brother’s gaze.

“Go call him,” Neal grinned.

OoOoOoO

Sara arrived at Neal’s before Kurt and Blaine, while he was still preparing their meal.

“Sara!” Neal grinned as he greeted her. “I’m so glad you came.”

“I know telling me about Blaine and your real name was a big deal so I figure I at least owe you dinner,” she explained.

“Fair enough I suppose,” Neal nodded.

“Of all the secrets I thought you may have had, a brother wasn’t high on the list, especially one that you kept in contact with.”

“I’m glad I can continue to surprise you,” he smirked. “I don’t know what would have happened if I hadn’t kept in contact with him, our parents have always been distant and they weren’t very supportive when he came out – that’s not to mention his bullying.” Neal hadn’t spoken about this to anyone but Mozzie, it was nice having someone else to share his past with. “Unfortunately I was in jail during the worst of it. I still remember the day I got the letter he wrote from hospital after some assholes put him there.”

“That’s horrible,” Sara frowned sympathetically.

“But he’s tough, and now that he’s got Kurt I’ve never seen him happier. That’s why I’m so anxious to meet him tonight.”

“I’m sure you’ll be fine,” she smiled encouragingly. “Everybody loves you.”

“I hope Kurt does, it would destroy Blaine if we didn’t get along,” Neal worried.

“I haven’t seen you care this much about anything since Kate, anyone can see how much you love your brother,” Sara reassured him. “Speaking of people you care about, does Mozzie know about him?”

“Yeah, he’s known for a quite a while. He helped us stay in contact while I was in prison, I don’t know what I would have done without him.” Mozzie, as a rule, wasn’t a big fan of families but even he couldn’t resist Blaine’s natural charm – it did help that by the time Mozzie finally met him they’d already managed to keep on contact unnoticed for months. Mozzie wasn’t a fan of emotional attachment but he could respect Blaine’s intelligence.

“I still can’t believe you pulled this off for so long, and that you’re still pulling it off,” Sara said amazedly.

“It was easier to keep it hidden when he was always in Ohio, but now that he’s been visiting more often it has been harder to keep secret,” Neal shrugged. “We’ll manage, it’s worth the risk if I get to see him and see him happy.”

“I like this new family-man Neal,” Sara laughed.

“This isn’t a new Neal,” he shook his head. “This is the old Cooper coming back.”

“So Cooper’s your real name?” Sara was curious about his old life. “Cooper Anderson… Doesn’t have the same ring to it.”

“That’s part of the reason I changed it when I left home, and to protect Blaine.”

“Where did it come from? A permanent name change would have had to have some inspiration.”

“Neal was my middle name so that was the obvious choice,” he explained. “And Caffrey was a name I saw on a movie poster, it sounds like care-free… I was 18 and it just seemed to fit.”

“It does fit,” she laughed. “And so at the tender age of 18 Cooper Neal Anderson turned in to Neal Caffrey.”

“That’s how it started,” he smiled. “I will deny anything between then and when Peter caught me though.”

“Including that Raphael you stole?” she teased.

“ _Allegedly_ stole.”

“Fine,” she laughed. “How long before Blaine and Kurt get here?”

“They should be here soon, but they may be a little late,” Neal smirked and tried not to think about the adult situation his baby brother may have been in earlier that afternoon.

“And you’re fine with all of that?” Sara was taking in as much information as she could.

“‘All of that’ being him being gay, or what they’re getting up to alone in his apartment?” Neal clarified.

“Both,” Sara shrugged.

“I think I knew he was gay before he realised it himself, nothing could change how much I love him,” he smiled. “And I try not to think about how much of an adult my little Blainers is becoming, as long as they’re being safe.”

OoOoOoO

“But what if he doesn’t like me?” Kurt was getting more paranoid the closer their dinner-date loomed. “He’s the first family member of yours I’ve met that you actually wanted me to meet, so I don’t want this to go badly.”

“Kurt, calm down,” Blaine squeezed his hand reassuringly. “He’ll love you, stop worrying.”

“But what if he doesn’t? What if he thinks I’m not good enough for you, or that you could do better?”

“He won’t think that because it’s nowhere near true,” Blaine smiled encouragingly at his insecure boyfriend.

“And what about the risks of the FBI finding out about you? You said there was a chance he was under surveillance.”

“It’ll be fine,” Blaine reassured him.

Kurt smiled back weakly and Blaine knocked on his brother’s door.

Sara answered the door and Neal greeted them from the stove.

“Hey Coop,” Blaine smiled, dragging Kurt inside by the hand.

“Blainers! And Kurt,” Neal wiped his hands on a tea-towel and offered his hand to shake his brother’s boyfriend’s.

“Hello, uh–” Kurt said, trailing off unsure whether to call him Cooper or Neal.

“You can call me Neal,” he said, sensing Kurt’s uncertainty. “Blaine’s the only one left who calls me Cooper.”

“Just like you’re the only one who calls me ‘Blainers’,” he said.

“Well someone has to,” Neal grinned.

“Don’t get any ideas,” Blaine said warningly to his boyfriend.

“I’ve already got some nicknames for you, muffin butt,” Kurt smirked, making the shorter boy blush, his mouth falling open in embarrassment and outrage.

“You two are adorable,” Sara smiled before introducing herself. “Sara Ellis, it’s great to meet you, Kurt. Neal’s been worrying about meeting you all afternoon. It’s so weird seeing him worry about something.”

“Kurt’s been worrying just as much,” Blaine laughed. “Two of the most composed people I know making each other worry… All I’m worried about is Cooper’s cooking, please tell me it’s improved since you started living on your own.”

“He was a bad cook?” Sara raised an eyebrow curiously. “I would have thought he’s always been a gourmet chef.”

“I distinctly remember some very burnt cookies when I was six,” Blaine shuddered at the memory.

“They weren’t that bad,” Neal protested.

“We nearly had to call the fire department–”

“I have improved greatly since then,” Neal spoke over his brother. “Sara, back me up here.”

“You’re a good cook, Neal,” she smiled.

“I won’t believe it until you make cookies that don’t taste like ash,” Blaine grinned playfully.

“Remind me to organise a cookie-off with you,” Neal matched his brother’s expression. “But until then I can and have cooked other things.”

“Can we either stop talking about food or actually eat some? I’m getting hungry,” Kurt grumbled.

“It’s not quite ready yet, but how about you check out the view of the patio,” Neal offered.

Sara watched the boys walk outside, their hands linked, and sighed dramatically. “Young love… we used to be like that.”

“Before you found out Mozzie and I stole a German U-Boat full of treasure?” Neal asked from the stove.

“And before you disappeared with no warning at all,” she glared at him slightly before turning back to the boys outside. “I hope they never lose that.”

“I don’t think they will,” Neal observed them. “If they can make the distance work this year, I think they’ll be alright.”

“Do you think they will survive the distance?” Sara asked.

 “I honestly have no idea. This is the first time I’ve seen them together and it’s hard to gauge it from letters,” Neal sighed and stared at the stove. “I’m sure they’ll be fine. Their biggest problem will be forcing Blaine to go back to Lima after he visits here, the City’s too irresistible.”

“It might have something to do with the fact that two of my favourite people are here,” Blaine said, apparently back from the patio. “But I definitely hate going back.”

“This time next year you’ll be here and we won’t have to worry about any of that,” Kurt reminded him.

“But until then, let’s eat,” Neal grinned, setting plates of food on the dining table.

 


End file.
